VGS News & Events: 19 August 2018 through 25 August 2018

Coming Events:

Wednesday: August 22, 2018

Brick Wall SIG Meeting

8:30 AM in the Atlanta Room in the Savannah Center

Wednesday: August 22, 2018

General Monthly Meeting

10:00 AM in the Atlanta Room in the Savannah Center

Topic: "Lets Talk Genealogy"

Sumter County Library - Password Management

Learn how to use password management software and tips on maintaining passwords.

Pinellas - Wednesday, August 22 @ 10:30 am

Registration required, register here...

Gen News & Announcements:

Mapping Sarah:

The Legal Genealogist
"Where oh where is the land…"
Continue reading...

Going Beyond Ethnicity Estimates in DNA Testing:

The In-Dept Genealogist
"As a specialist in genetic genealogy, one of the most frequent topics I address in my conversation with others is ethnicity estimates. Someone might say something like: “I’m not really sure how much to trust those genetic tests since my grandmother was Italian, and I only came back with 15% Italian in my results. If they can’t even get the ethnicity right, then what use are they?”
Continue reading...

Absolutely Free Genealogy Research Sites for Every Single U.S. State:

Family History Daily
"Many U.S. states have put a good deal of effort into making their records freely accessible online, and some of the best no-cost resources can now be found through state and local agencies. Taking advantage of these wonderful resources can dramatically increase the likelihood of discovering key information about your ancestors."
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How to Use Your Findmypast Family Tree: Icons Guide:

FindMyPast
"A visual guide to every icon you'll encounter while making your family tree."
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Offline Vital Records are Critical to Your Research, and Ordering Them is Easier Than You Think:

Family History Daily
"If you’ve never taken the time to track down offline vital records about your ancestors you might be asking yourself two questions right now: “Vital Records?  What are those?” and “Offline? Why would I need a quick guide to finding Vital Records offline when it’s so easy to surf for everything online?” But you’ll soon discover that adding these offline records to your research is an integral step in understanding your ancestors’ lives and building a quality family tree."
Continue reading...

The 11 Million Free Immigration Records You May Have Completely Overlooked: Castle Garden Records:

Family History Daily
How to Search Castle Garden Records...
If you think you may have had an ancestor who came to New York after 1820 and before 1892, head over to CastleGarden.org and click on ‘Search’ in the menu at the top. When you land on the search page you’ll see a wide variety of options.
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Technology:

What’s the Best Way to Back Up My Computer?

How-to-Geek
"Everyone loses data at some point in their lives. Your computer’s hard drive could fail tomorrow, ransomware could hold your files hostage, or a software bug could delete your important files. If you’re not regularly backing up your computer, you could lose those files forever."
Continue reading...

Education:

10 Shocking Results from DNA Ancestry Tests:

Top Tenz
"Ancestry tests provided by companies like 23andMe, Ancestry.com, and Helix are more popular than they’ve ever been. As more people have their DNA tested to see where in the world their ancestors came from, it’s led to some fascinating results. In some cases, the results are downright shocking and can uncover secrets that have been buried for years, if not decades."
Continue reading... 10.37 minutes

Webinars:

GPS: Finding Your Way Through Tough Research Problems:

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Life is good when records with direct evidence exist. Typically that doesn't last long. At some point, one finds only bits and pieces of indirect or conflicting evidence and progress often comes to a screeching halt. This class examines a case study prepared for application to the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) where direct evidence was non-existent in identifying the family of  Jesse Roberts of Greenville County, South Carolina. Key strategies are presented to piece together strands and threads of evidence from disparate sources using the Genealogical Proof Standard."
Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at 8:00 p.m.
Presenter: James Ison, AG
Learn more or Register for this webinar...

Researching Forces Ancestors (England and Wales)

Legacy Family Tree Webinars
"Do you have a British ancestor who served as a soldier or sailor? This webinar will highlight the sources available over the last two centuries both online and offline, including researching at The National Archives (Kew), in local repositories and museums, to add flesh to the bones of your ancestor's service history."
Wednesday, August 22, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
Presenter: Kirsty Gray
Learn more or Register for this webinar...